Vout van Aart recorded his first stage victory in the Vuelta in 2026, after the Belgian triumphed in the 13th stage from Almunecar to Loja, Reuters reports. The race was 192.8 kilometers long and offered serious pace and numerous attacks. Van Aart found himself in the large breakaway group early in the stage. In the decisive phase, the Belgian waited for the right moment and launched an attack about four kilometers from the finish.
The only rider who managed to follow him was the Frenchman Valentin Paré-Pantre. The two reached the final meters together, where the Frenchman tried to overtake the Belgian about 200 meters before the line. However, Van Aart reacted well and maintained his advantage until the very end.
His teammate Matthew Brennan finished third, 24 seconds behind the winner.
In the general classification, Enric Mas retained the red jersey. The Spaniard finished with the main group and still has a 1:45 lead over Primož Roglic. However, the next stage promises another serious battle, as the route from Jaén to Sierra de la Pandera is mountainous and 152.7 kilometers long.